Ephesus Small Group - Semi Private Shore Excursion
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Kusadasi, Turkey
- 4 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus and other highlights of the area on a private half-day tour from Kusadasi. Walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Site then stop at the Temple of Artemis, and the Meryemana (Virgin Mary's House). Your tour includes skip-the-line admission, a private guide and driver, and port pickup and drop-off.
- Private tour to Ephesus with pick-up from Kusadasi Port
- See the Great Theater, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, and other highlights in Ephesus
- See the Temple of Artemis, and the Meryemana (House of the Virgin Mary)
- Includes private guide and driver, and port pickup and drop-off
What's Included
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide
- Guaranteed skip-the-line!
- Pickup and Drop-off from Cruise Port
- Brand New A/C Luxury Mercedes Sprinter with Private Driver
- LunchTraditional lunch at a handicraft carpet demonstration village
- Alcoholic BeveragesBeverages at the Lunch
- Admission Fee - Ephesus Ancient City€40.00 per person
- Admission Fee - Virgin Mary House€18.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- Kusadasi Cruise PierIstanbul Denizcilik, Yeni Yolcu Terminali - Ege Port, Camikebir, 09400 Kuşadası/Aydın, Türkiye
Pickup details
FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS; WE MEET GUESTS AT THE EXIT GATE OF THE IMMIGRATION TERMINAL OF THE KUSADASI CRUISE PORT WITH A BOARD WITH OTTI TRAVEL SIGN ON IT.
Itinerary
Begin your private tour at your choice of times, with pickup at your cruise ship dock. Most people then head to Ephesus, which is located a short drive from Kusadasi.
Your private guide takes you through the well-preserved ruins of the ancient Greek and Roman city, pointing out highlights including the Gate of Mazeus and Mithridates, the Great Theater, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the fountain of Trajan, the Temple of Hadrian, and more.
Stop at the Temple of Artemis, which stood close to Ephesus and is marked by a single remaining column. Then visit the Meryemana (House of the Virgin Mary), a site that's sacred to both Christians and Muslims, and discover the legend of the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, another story that's common to Christianity and Islam.
You'll take a break for lunch, and be returned to the port in Kusadasi at the end of your tour.
Your private guide takes you through the well-preserved ruins of the ancient Greek and Roman city, pointing out highlights including the Gate of Mazeus and Mithridates, the Great Theater, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the fountain of Trajan, the Temple of Hadrian, and more.
Stop at the Temple of Artemis, which stood close to Ephesus and is marked by a single remaining column. Then visit the Meryemana (House of the Virgin Mary), a site that's sacred to both Christians and Muslims, and discover the legend of the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, another story that's common to Christianity and Islam.
You'll take a break for lunch, and be returned to the port in Kusadasi at the end of your tour.
1
Kuşadası Port Türkiye
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Ancient City of Ephesus
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
The Temple of Artemis
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Small Group Tours are exclusive only for cruise passengers
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 407 reviews
TRINH_D, Oct 2025
Our tour guide Ahmet was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and was prepared for everything. He reshuffled the schedule bc we were early and took us to the Ephesus before the crowd. there was several sites that was not on the itinerary which he stopped by and let us see. Lunch was wonderful in the carpet demonstration was very cool. I would definitely recommend it..
MartyandKathy_B, Oct 2025
Tas was a very knowledgeable guide and he shared his knowledge with us while we were driving to the sights and while walking through them. Amazing history here and it’s still being discovered and rebuilt. We enjoyed the carpet factory tour also and the authentic Turkish meal. Definitely a good deal. There was only 8 in our group, so we moved along at a good speed. Highly recommend this tour and I hope you go with Tas!
jkrynicki, Oct 2025
Well informed guide told us lots of information about the historical sites that we visited. Pleasant lunch.
jeanfortier, Sep 2025
Great outstanding guide not to be missed unique visite with so Much history. The guide was very helpful to me with m'y reduce mobilité.
Max_C, Sep 2025
We were very impressed with an all the sites we visited. Our tour guide, Tas was exceptional. His knowledge of history and his enthusiasm were outstanding. We highly recommend this excursion.
Sarah_H, Sep 2025
If I had it to do over again, I would pick an excursion just to Ephesus, leaving out lunch, rug demonstration and Artemis. While our guide was extremely sweet, knowledgeable, and fluid in English, I felt like we were "set up" or left on our own at the rug place. What was prefaced as a tour of rug making, quickly turned into a high pressured sales pitch. They even followed us outside after we clearly I declined offer and said no several times.
Kerry_P, Sep 2025
Nora was our guide and she was great. The experience from start to finish was smooth, engaging and hard to think of an improvement. Highly recommend!
Jade_G, Sep 2025
Absolutely incredible experience, far exceeded our expectations! We had a private tour of 5 ppl with Asli. She was knowledgeable, kind, helpful and friendly. Saw all the major sites we wanted to see and had a fantastic day of memories! Great tour!!
dorie, Aug 2025
Our guide Taylan was AMAZING - he knew so much history, spoke perfect english and made our experience of Turkiye so memorable. I highly recommend this tour and if you're smart, you'll specifically ask for him!!
Danielle_W, Jul 2025
Great tour. Ahmet, our tour guide was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He made sure we were well taken care of and that we had time to see everything we wanted to see. The 5 hr tour was perfect and allowed us some shopping time before getting back on the cruise ship. Be prepared for a lot of walking on uneven surfaces.
Amy_H, Jul 2025
Nur was very knowledgeable and flexible with our family requests. We enjoyed the tour learning so much about each location.
James_B, Jun 2025
Ahmet and Engin, our tour guide and driver, made our day in Ephesus really great. Ahmet communicated the day before our tour with clear directions on where to meet and was very prompt to meet us when the ship moored in port. He was very knowledgeable and gave us so many interesting facts about Mary's house, Ephesus, and Turkey, in general. Engin was a great driver, was very accommodating with door-to-door service at every stop, and he even purchased cold waters for our.group, which was especially appreciated on such a hot day. The Turkish lunch was such a great touch. All of the food was delicious. The rug making demonstration was also very interesting. To be honest, I was dreading a.high pressure sales pitch, but it wasn't that at all. The demonstration was fascinating, and while you were invited to buy something, I felt zero pressure to do so. Overall, a very enjoyable day.
ckrieg, Jun 2025
Tour guide was amazing! Loved her! We felt very lucky to be with this small group. There were only four of us.
Antonietta_B, Jun 2025
What a great experience we had today. Our tour guide Ahmet and the driver Engin were waiting for our group of six once we disembarked from our ship. Ahmet was very knowledgeable, informative, organised and genuinely friendly. He was so enthusiastic, passionate and eager to share the history with us. No request or questions was difficult for him. We had an authentic Turkish lunch. Engin was a great driver. We highly recommend this team.
Brooke_H, Jun 2025
Ahmet was our guide and he was incredible! Very knowledgeable of all the sites we visited and made sure we went at a pace that was good for our group! I would recommend him again!
Roseanna_O, Jun 2025
Wonderful tour with Ezgi. Very knowledgeable and everything went smoothly. Kids enjoyed it! Lunch was delicious.
Joan_A, Mar 2025
Our guide Melike was brilliant she gave us masses of information and made the experience
Entertaining.
Courtney_G, Feb 2025
This was a great experience. This was a long day and our guide Nage was attentive and knowledgeable through the entire day. The lunch spot was great and she was able to adjust the tour based on the needs and requests of the group. I would recommend this tour to anyone who would like to get a feel for Ephesus and Kusadasi and especially Nage who made it a wonderful day.
Gary_e, Nov 2024
Nothing short of unbelievable. Tas knew everything and presented it amazingly. Ate an authentic Turkish lunch. The best tour I have ever been on.
Lisa_R, Oct 2024
Mehmet was an excellent host and guide for our tour. He thoughtfully contacted us the morning of the tour and told us where to meet him. Very knowledgable and guided us to interesting artefacts throughout Ephesus & provided history of the general area. Mary’s House was quiet and reverent (not a long queue in the afternoon). Our local lunch was delicious! Rug making was fascinating and mindblowing - how they gain the silk and knot it to the looms. The girls are master crafters. The Co-Op was so well organised. One of the highlights of this tour!!!
Tom_G, Oct 2024
Our guide Tas did a great job bringing to life an area with incredible history. Everyone enjoyed the day, the lunch provided was excellent.
Michael_S, Oct 2024
We were met by our Tour Guide Faith Cekin, he had an exceptional knowledge of the history of Ephesus. He also organized for us to skip long queues, asked the group what they would like included in the Tour, excellent day.
Celia_E, Oct 2024
The whole day was amazing! Our guide, Taylan, was incredibly nice and knowledgeable. He made the tour one of the best we have had. Would definitely do again!
Susan_G, Oct 2024
Knowledgeable, charming and organised guide. He phoned ahead and adjusted our schedule so as to avoid the queues but still allowing us to see all sights. Highly recommended.
Jaime_G, Sep 2024
Our small group tour with Taylan, while in port for the day on a cruise, was perfect! He was so welcoming and shared lots of information about his culture and the history of the country. We loved seeing the Virgin Mary’s House, the Ancient City of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis. We had an authentic Turkish lunch with him, then saw local carpet weaving and pottery demonstrations, both which were extraordinary. It’s a beautiful area of the world and we had such a wonderful experience there!
Michael_H, Aug 2024
Great guide, perfect combination of knowledge and joyful personality. small groups. Glad I took it. Extra cost for tickets are displayed in advance.
Kyle_R, Aug 2024
Tour guide was Nur, she was extremely knowledge and had enjoyable time on tour. Visited Virgin Mary House, town of Ephesus, brief stop at Temple of Artemis, stopped for lunch followed by rug presentation, visited local market shop and pottery shop. Small group-9 total.
Leslie_P, Jul 2024
Our tour guide Nagi was amazing. We were easily able to locate her at the Kusadasi cruise port when we exited our cruise ship. She allowed us to slightly customize our tour due to traveling with a little one who wasn’t handling the heat so well and provided us with umbrella’s for shade.
She shared a lot of interesting information about all the sites we visited. Lunch was enjoyable and food was very good. The carpet weaving school portion was a little long but interesting. Really enjoyed our day with Nagi!
Desmond_B, Jun 2024
Wonderful tour. Our tour guide, Tas, was very patient and knowledgeable about the area. Hats off to him!
Steve_v, Jun 2024
Most everything was wonderful. The tour ended up being more expensive than we expected. The sights were amazing. They are not lying about the heat.
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